Quick-repair patch for renovating external damage, and quick-repair method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12447701-B2
Application number	US-202217582126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2022
Priority date	Jan 28, 2021
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A quick-repair patch for renovating external damage, and quick-repair method for quick repairs of local and structurally mechanically irrelevant damage to aircraft components. The quick-repair patch has a layer structure with a plastic film, to which lightning protection is applied, and an adhesive layer, which is arranged at least on the plastic film. The quick-repair patch can be adhesively bonded to the damage such that the lightning protection is in electrical contact with the lightning protection of the component. The quick-repair patch can have a QR code or an RFID tag, by which specifications relating to the quick-repair patch or to the quick repair can be stored or retrieved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A patch strip comprising a plurality of quick-repair patches for renovating local and structurally mechanically irrelevant damage to a component or an aircraft component, comprising a covering layer and lightning-strike surface protection located therebeneath, wherein each of the quick-repair patches has a layer structure and the layer structure comprises:
a plastic film layer, which is configured to be materially bonded to the covering layer in an arrangement in which the plastic film layer faces away from the damage when the quick-repair patch is fastened to the component;
an electrically conductive lightning-protection layer which is suitable for a lightning-protection function or an electromagnetic-interference-protection function and is bonded to the plastic film layer, wherein the lightning-protection layer is configured to make electrically conductive contact with the lightning-strike surface protection when the quick-repair patch is fastened to the component; and
a fastening layer, which is suitable for fastening the quick-repair patch to the component by a material bond;
wherein the lightning-protection layer defines a surface area that is smaller than a surface area of the plastic film layer such that the plastic film layer defines a peripheral region which is between a contour of the plastic film layer and the lightning-protection layer;
wherein the fastening layer is arranged only on the peripheral region of the plastic film layer on a same side as the electrically conductive lightning-protection layer; and
wherein the quick-repair patches are individually separably connected to one another at an edge of the peripheral region.

2. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein the plastic film layer contains reinforcing fibers, a material that attenuates radar radiation or absorbs radar radiation, and/or an electrically conductive material, wherein the plastic film layer is electrically insulated from the lightning-protection layer, and/or wherein the plastic film layer contains a material that attenuates or absorbs UV light or ionizing radiation.

3. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein the layer structure comprises:
a reinforcing layer, which contains reinforcing fibers and is on the plastic film layer; and/or
a camouflage layer, which contains a material that attenuates radar radiation, or absorbs radar radiation; and/or
an electrostatic-discharge-protection layer, which contains an electrically conductive material;
a radiation-protection layer, which contains a material that attenuates, or absorbs, UV light or ionizing radiation; and/or
a connecting layer, which is between the plastic film layer and the lightning-protection layer and materially bonds them to one another.

4. The patch strip according to claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing layer, the camouflage layer, the discharge-protection layer and/or the radiation protection layer are combined in a common functional layer; and/or wherein the reinforcing layer, the camouflage layer, the discharge-protection layer, the radiation protection layer and/or the functional layer are on the side of the plastic film layer that faces away from the lightning-protection layer.

5. The patch strip according to claim 3 , wherein the layer structure is formed in one of sequences of:
plastic film layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer; or
plastic film layer, connecting layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer; or
reinforcing layer or camouflage layer or discharge-protection layer or radiation-protection layer, plastic film layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer; or
reinforcing layer or camouflage layer or discharge-protection layer or radiation-protection layer, plastic film layer, connecting layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer; or
functional layer, plastic film layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer; or
functional layer, plastic film layer, connecting layer, lightning-protection layer, fastening layer.

6. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein the layer structure consists only of the layers recited.

7. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of quick-repair patches comprises an information tag or device by which specifications relating to the quick-repair patch and/or to the quick repair carried out by the quick-repair patch can be stored or retrieved.

8. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein the edge region is perforated for a purpose of separation.

9. The patch strip according to claim 1 , wherein the patch strip is in a form of a roll.

10. A repair arrangement, which comprises a component or an aircraft component, and a quick-repair patch according to claim 1 , wherein the component has a covering layer and lightning-strike surface protection located therebeneath and also local and structurally mechanically irrelevant damage, wherein the quick-repair patch covers the damage and is materially bonded to the component by the fastening layer, wherein the plastic film layer is materially bonded to the covering layer and faces away from the damage, wherein the electrically conductive lightning-protection layer is arranged between the plastic film layer and the lightning-strike surface protection.

11. An aircraft comprising a quick-repair patch according to claim 1 , wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of lift aids, flaps, leading-edge slats, control surfaces, elevators, rudders, ailerons, fuselage parts, rotor blades, wing surfaces, engine nacelles, and horizontal tail units and/or vertical tail units.

12. A quick-repair method for renovating local and structurally mechanically irrelevant damage to a component or an aircraft component, which contains a covering layer and lightning-strike surface protection located therebeneath, wherein the method comprises:
producing connecting surfaces on the component for a quick-repair patch and optionally exposing the lightning-strike surface protection;
positioning a quick-repair patch according to claim 1 on the damage; and
fastening the quick-repair patch to the connecting surfaces by pressing it on, as a result of which the plastic film layer is materially bonded to the covering layer and the lightning-protection layer is preferably brought into electrically conductive contact with the lightning-strike surface protection.

13. The quick-repair method according to claim 12 , wherein producing the connecting surfaces and/or exposing the lightning-strike surface protection comprises grinding.

14. A method of using a quick-repair patch according claim 1 for repairing local and structurally mechanically irrelevant damage to an aircraft component.

15. The patch strip according to claim 7 , wherein the information tag or device comprises a QR code and/or an RFID tag.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Weber Lutz
• Kaste Michael

Classifications

• B64D45/02

  Lightning protectors; Static dischargers · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B64F5/40

  Maintaining or repairing aircraft · CPC title

• C09J2400/163

  in the substrate · CPC title

• C09J2475/006

  in the substrate · CPC title